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NELSON BY THE SEA - Everything you hope for in a beach house

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Exterior
Living Room
Living Room
Exterior
Exterior

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
3 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Hot tub on site
  • Onsite parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Bunk Beds

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet

Spaces

Kitchen
Dining area

About this property

NELSON BY THE SEA - Everything you hope for in a beach house

Special Offer:

SUNDAY FOR FREE T&C's: Book & pay for Friday and Saturday night stay and ask us to add in the Sunday for free! Valid stays 1 May–30 Nov 2026. Subject to availability. Excludes public holiday weekends & school holidays. Not valid with any other offers or promotions.

we love this because...

As a family when we think if a beach holiday house we hope for white weatherboards, porthole style windows and timber boardwalks so when we arrived at NELSON BY THE SEA before we even entered we knew we had found the perfect escape.

Tucked away in a quiet pocket close to Sorrento and the beach it was an easy 15-minute walk to the Sorrento Sailing Club and a little longer to walk into Sorento townships itself.

We stayed with extended family and teenage kids and there was space for everyone inside this contemporary house with its high cathedral ceilings, wooden floorboards and contrasting beams.

The grandparents sat and read outside, the kids played billiards downstairs and watched movies but everyone came together on the huge deck with hydrotherapy spa. There is a beautiful Peppercorn Tree in the garden and the grassed lawn was perfect for a bit of backyard cricket and safe for our pooch.

Bring your own tennis raquets and balls and walk to the hidden treasure that is the tennis court (communal and free) at Tuckey Track Reserve. Put your name down in the book (but usually there is no wait list), it is even pet friendly and there is a bbq and picnic table if you want to make an afternoon of it.

We walked the dog to the Koonya Dog Beach which only takes about 20 minutes and he loves the shallow waters that go out for miles.

For dinner, The Baths is our favourite restaurant and is only a 30-minute walk away. We watch the Sorrento/Queenscliff ferry dock on the hour and the weather change across the bay. For something special, we love Loquat and its only a 20-minute walk from Nelson by the Sea.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE - Property is suitable for maximum of 6 adults plus additional children.

PAWfect
What fun! a new house to visit that lets four-legged friends like me sleep inside.
Yay! a garden with tall fences to keep me safe. Love the trees and bushes, there are lots of interesting smells. Are those possums in the trees?
And there's a special basket just for me. No way! What's in there? Ooh, ooh! a treat from PAWDINKUM. I LOVE THIS PLACE.

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About the area

Melbourne

Located near the beach, this holiday home is in Sorrento, a neighbourhood in Melbourne. Sorrento and Flinders Fine Art Galleries and Manyung Gallery at Sorrento are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Quarantine Station and Queenscliff Hotel. Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park and Queenscliff Maritime Museum are also worth visiting. Scuba diving, snorkelling and sailing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with mountain biking nearby.
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Map
Sorrento, Victoria

What's nearby

  • Mornington Peninsula National Park - 7 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Diamond Bay Beach - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Sorrento Front Beach - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Blairgowrie Beach - 2 min drive - 1.2 km
  • Koonya Ocean Beach - 4 min drive - 2.7 km

Getting around

  • Drysdale Station - 68 min drive
  • Melbourne, VIC (AVV-Avalon) - 116 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Hotel Sorrento - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Portsea Hotel - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Longshore Room - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Vanilla Slice Cafe Sorrento - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Koonya Hotel - ‬3 min drive

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 6 out of 11 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 11 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 11 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 11 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 11 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

8.8/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

8/10 Good

James W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Pet-friendly and clean. Was a great 3 days with wasy access to both Portsea, Sorrento and Blairgowrie.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Jan, 2026
Thank you so much for your review James. We’re really glad you enjoyed your stay and found the place clean, pet-friendly, and well located for exploring Portsea, Sorrento, and Blairgowrie. It was a pleasure hosting you, and we’d love to welcome you back again to one of our Ocean Blue Coastal retreats in the future.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Catherine A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Fabulous Christmas Getaway

We had a great holiday at Nelson On The Bay.
Stayed 9 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Jan, 2025
Thanks Catherine. We are so pleased you loved Nelson by The Sea. Its such a beautiful home and the large spa is a great feature for making wonderful holiday memories. We hope we can host you again soon. X
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Barbara A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great for all the family

Great location quiet, plenty to do and picturesque.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Sept, 2022
Thanks for the lovely review Barbara! So glad you enjoyed your stay at Nelson by the Sea and we hope to see you again soon at one of our Ocean Blue Coastal retreats x
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nelson

Clean, very comfortable, would stay again
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Dec, 2023
Thanks Jennifer. X So glad you had a great time. Its such a resort property with that lovely spa to soak in. X
Verified

8/10 Good

Sara B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fabulous Weekend

We loved our stay at Nelson By the Sea. The property was exceptional, perfectly located between Diamond Bay and Sorrento dog beach. Short drive into Sorrento village which was super easy. The gardens are quite overgrown and could do with a good clean up, but overall the property is fabulous. We will be booking again next year :)
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Mar, 2025
Hi Sara Thanks for your lovely review of Nelson by the Sea. We are so glad you enjoyed the property and the spa facilities. Its always great to be able to bring the puppies along on holiday. We have passed on your comments about the garden to the owners and will ensure their schedule is a little more comprehensive going forward especially in the warmer weather. Look forward to welcoming you back to any one of our Ocean Blue Coastal Retreats properties soon. X
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Corina L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Surprise!

What a beautiful place. Perfectly situation in Sorrento. Walking distance to beach. The spa was amazing. I didn't want to go home! My two little dogs loved the back yard. Kitchen is perfect. Couldn't want for anything more. Highly recommend this property.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Jan, 2024
Thank you for your lovely review Corina of your recent stay at Nelson by the Sea! We look forward to hosting you again soon at one of our Ocean Blue Coastal retreats x
Verified

8/10 Good

Elizabeth P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Holiday in you home State

Property was a terrific central location - less than a 5 min drive from the Sorrento/Queenscliff Sea ferry - a great way to kick start our break away! The secure and spacious yard was perfect for our dog who was happy to watch us relax in the deck spa each day. Flowing open plan living area onto the wrap around decking was a great feature and really kept guests connected during the stay - even during yoga on the sun drenched deck! Would recommend as a comfortable, functional, spacious and central stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 24 Mar, 2023
So you glad you had a wonderful stay at Nelson by the Sea and we look forward to seeing you soon at one of our Ocean Blue Coastal Retreats x
Verified

10/10 Excellent

MICHELLE H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Celebrating 60th Birthday

Property was in a very safe and quiet location. It is well positioned with an excellent restaurant Loquat close by (15 minute walk). Property had lots of space, entertainment options and was very functional with plenty of facilities. Bedrooms well appointed to get privacy away from the main entertainment areas. We had a dog, who enjoyed the opportunity to stay. Spa was a highlight and very easy to use as pre-set. Had a fantastic time. Would recommend to others.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 20 Dec, 2022
Thank you for the lovely review Michelle , we are so glad you enjoyed your recent stay at Nelson by the Sea and we look forward to seeing you again soon at one of our Ocean Blue Coastal retreats x
Verified

6/10 Okay

Ash M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Spa was not heating up

The Spa temperature was never reached hot enough to use the spa. The T&C for spa sent after check-in and said you should not touch the spa temperature! We left the property one day sooner as very disappointed with spa functionality. Had to raise a legal complaint as the property manager denied to accept the spa was faulty although I have provided photos/videos and confirmation of the spa technician. Moreover, we couldn’t find the tennis court showing in the property images.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 15 Jul, 2022
Thanks for the review Ash. We are sorry you were disappointed with your visit. You arrived on the Friday and used the spa on that night and all was well. However, in contradiction to the terms and conditions you adjusted the temperature to the maximum amount and left the spa cover off overnight hence the spa could not cope for the 12 hours you left it running at such cold overnight temperatures and shut down as a safety measure. when you reached out to our spa technician for assistance he assisted you in getting the spa up and running again. Unfortunately, with a large body of water it takes time for that to happen. We checked the spa on your departure to ensure all was well and you had switched the spa off at the wall (again contrary to our terms) and therefore we could not attempt to establish if you statement that the spa had not heated up on Sunday morning was true. When we turned on the spa it was functioning as normal and reached temperature the following day.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kaleigh M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nelson by the sea

Clean, lovely location, clear communication. Thank you
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Dec, 2021
Hi Kaleigh, glad you enjoyed your stay at the lovely Nelson by the Sea. Thank you for your kind review, we look forward to seeing you again at one of our Ocean Blue Coastal Retreats x
Verified

8/10 Good

Hannah B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025
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